OCSC Mike

Everyone values different aspects of cruising differently. I'd never tell someone the ship differences "should not" be considered. It may not matter to you but it matters to others. Personally, I would definitely consider the differences.

They may not be major but there are definitely differences. Food venues jump out to me, perhaps b/c I like to eat. Mini Bites on Harmony is awful, would much rather have El Loco Fresh. I also enjoy Playmakers although I like Sabor too. Advice to the OP... find the differences on the Royal website or elsewhere, factor in the difference in price, then decide what is most important to you, personally.

Yes, AFAIK. As far as after final payment, you can use the difference in price to upgrade. As an example, there were an unusually high number of balconies left for my Indy cruise on Monday last week. For a couple days, you could upgrade to a balcony for extremely low amounts.

At any of the 3 Snack Shacks.

Don't think any ship does that anymore. The late night buffet definitely went away a long time ago. 😢

That's the wort part... people were actively sharing stories of how inexpensive it was to upgrade to a balcony during those 2 days I mentioned last week. Those who weren't cruise savvy and didn't know to check prices on their own should have been tipped off. Oh well.

They are definitely happy and I get your point. I wasn't suggesting they need to be frugal; I'm just such a bargain hunter by nature, my brain can't handle when people don't maximize value. Splurging is a personal decision and people should spend their money however they want. It's getting a bad deal that triggers me, lol. As an example, someone who won a RoyalUp from an interior to an OV (window, not balcony) could have upgraded last week to an OV balcony for almost the exact same price (there were an abnormally high number of balconies left at a very low price for 2 full days). Other posters realized this (many b/c they used a TA) and upgraded for very little money. P.S. My original post also wasn't meant to be super serious.

Yes, night 2 will be a "dress to impress" night. No lobster though. You won't be turned away; you could even dress more casually than that.

Some of the winning bid reports I'm seeing (elsewhere) for my Indy cruise Monday boggle my mind. I kinda feel bad for inexperienced cruisers who don't check prices or realize what a good price is. At least they'll have a great time but the frugal shopper in me is weeping.

Blasphemy if you do.

Sailing terminals are Terminal 1 for Harmony/Indy and Terminal 5 for Mariner. No idea where Oasis parks, sorry.

I've had that happen a few times in the last few days at home, think it's a CC issue.

Great numbers! I'll be on Indy Monday, would be happy with a fraction of that compared to what I'm used to.

I've definitely done that before.

Thanks for firing up the Mystery Machine!

I wasn't a rum fan either until I tried Kraken two cruises ago after reading so many recommendations. Now I don't go a day without having at least one drink that includes it while cruising.

First, I'll take the question I feel most qualified to answer since eating is my favorite activity while cruising, lol. Assuming you want free... Chill Grill or Skippers Grill (identical venues) have a great taco bar with freshly made tortillas, choice of beef, chicken, or pork, all the fixins including guac. They also have burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and salad there but I just gorge on tacos. Dessert hack... take 2 chocolate chip cookies to the soft serve ice cream station and make an ice cream sandwich (then eat it quickly before it melts). Other place to eat is at one of the Snack Shacks (there are 3, counter service)... great crispy chicken sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, and the best dessert there... funnel cake! If you include the snorkeling part, Chill Island is probably where you want to be. You won't be far from Chill Grill and there's a Snack Shack not too far away either, on the way back to the pool. You will pass a bunch of hammocks if you take the path we do but not sure you'd want to sit near them. There is shade everywhere as the loungers have plenty of umbrellas. There is a bar over near where my wife snorkels, Wacky Seagull Jr. maybe? Ask where the towel exchange is. There are crew members stationed everywhere to help you find stuff. I know where it is compared to where we always sit when I'm there but I'm awful at directions. Hope this gives you a starting point. I'm sure others will chime in.

Holy 💩, it's October? No wonder it was actually below 60 here the past few mornings! The natives are dressed like snow is coming! 🤣 Tons of stuff is ship-specific of course; the DL concierge on Indy just made it sound like it was a fleet-wide mandate to turn the machines off overnight. He said people were breaking them while unattended (which made no sense to me since they could just as easily be broken during the day while the DL is unattended). Needless to say, my wife and I have a very different cruise schedule than you do. She gets up crazy early to go running... that's when I used to go get my early morning cappuccinos and some "pre-breakfast" pastries from Cafe Promenade. Found it very odd on Harmony that I could go to Park Cafe at 6:30am and get egg sandwiches and bagels but had to wait until 7:00 for the damn machine for my coffee. 1st world problems, I know.

That was my experience with the DL on Indy in July.

That is definitely one option. Good way to make new friends too! 🤣 "Can I buy... err... voucher you a drink?"

Now I'm jealous! The DL concierge on Indy in July told me they were no longer available overnight by order of HQ. Hope it has changed back to 24/7 there too.

If you're Diamond, you can get unlimited specialty coffee from the machine in the DL and use the vouchers for something else if you like.

Check the app for bar menus. Most of these are on there. Some are unique to locations like the Schooner Bar or Playmakers.

You're welcome again. Check the app, it will tell you check-in is in X days.

No problem. Not being snarky, but doing the math, check-in opens 45 days out which is 6+ weeks.